Memory is a deeply entrenched concept within Israeli society.
Remembrance Day for the Fallen of Israel’s Wars and Victims of Terrorism, which will be marked nationwide on Monday evening, is filled with promises that the fallen will not be forgotten.
Over the past year, 170 soldiers have been killed across multiple fronts, including 15 soldiers and reservists killed in southern Lebanon since fighting resumed on March 2. Fifty-four disabled veterans have died from complications linked to wounds sustained during their service.
Behind these numbers are 7,165 bereaved relatives who have grieved and mourned for their fallen father, mother, son, daughter, or sibling.
The annual transition from the somber ceremonies to the joy of Israel’s Independence Day celebrations serves as a reminder of a difficult question we as Israelis must ask ourselves every year: What can we do to ensure that the sacrifices made by our soldiers were not in vain?
On Sunday morning, Israelis gathered outside the homes of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other government ministers for an impromptu ceremony honoring our fallen heroes.
After observing a minute of silence, the gatherings turned into a public demand: A call for a state commission of inquiry into the failures surrounding October 7.
A direct message from the Israeli public
Their message was direct and unambiguous: “The blood of our loved ones cries out from the ground and demands truthful answers.”
This demand, rooted in grief, is sustained by a real fear among society that, without accountability by the political and military echelon, the failures of the past will continue to manifest themselves in the blood of Israelis being shed.
The question facing Israel is not only how to respond to the current threats, but whether it can alter the trajectory that keeps producing them.
Israelis have shown unprecedented levels of resilience since October 7, 2023. When Hamas invaded southern Israel and the IDF was nowhere to be found, citizens mobilized. When entire neighborhoods, towns, and kibbutzim were destroyed, their residents came back to rebuild them from the ruins. In the North and South alike, Israelis have accepted life under daily fire.
This resilience cannot be taken for granted.
The country cannot continue indefinitely on a path where each year brings new funerals, new bereaved families, and new names added to memorials.
Now, with Israel stuck in the limbo of a ceasefire both in Iran and Lebanon, an opportunity has presented itself to bring an end to this cycle of blood and tears.
In the long-standing debate of military against diplomatic pressure, it could still very much be argued that military pressure has brought Israel to a position where it could negotiate its safety with those who try to kill us.
However, said military pressure has always had its limits. Not only in terms of results on the ground, but also in terms of international perception and, most importantly, domestic fatigue.
Israelis have spent thousands of days in reserve duty. Reservists have spent the majority of their past year fighting in Gaza and Lebanon. Too many did not get to return home to their friends and families.
The government, and the one that will emerge to replace it following elections in the months ahead, face the same burden: They will need to provide bereaved families with the knowledge that the sacrifices they have made over the past years have contributed to a different future.
The possibility of normalization with Lebanon and disarmament of Hezbollah and Hamas, even if distant, represents an alternative to perpetual hostility and spilling of blood.
There will come a time when bereaved families mourning their fallen sons and daughters will no longer be willing to accept open-ended conflict as a fact of life.
“The blood of our loved ones cries out from the ground and demands truthful answers.” This statement, voiced outside the homes of Israel’s leaders on Sunday, captures this sentiment resoundingly.
This Remembrance Day, therefore, is not only about honoring those who have fallen, but also about ensuring next year does not look like the last. Only then will we be able to appropriately honor the sacrifice of our fallen soldiers.